Brussels Playbook Podcast

POLITICO’s daily audio briefing on what’s moving Brussels — and why it matters.

The Brussels Playbook Podcast is the audio extension of the Brussels Playbook newsletter. Hosted by POLITICO's chief EU correspondent, Zoya Sheftalovich, the podcast runs Monday through Thursday, offering a clear, reporting-driven guide to EU politics in under 15 minutes. It’s a perfect companion for your morning coffee.

Each episode takes listeners inside the decisions, power shifts and debates shaping the day in Brussels — and explains how they connect to national capitals across Europe.

Clear, conversational and shaped by reporting from the heart of the EU, the Brussels Playbook Podcast brings context to EU politics as your day begins.

On Fridays, the same feed features a longer episode that goes deeper into the week’s biggest themes, offering context and analysis beyond the daily news cycle — with Sarah Wheaton behind the mic. 


News
Politics
News Commentary
26
The EU’s plan to revive its frontline regions
The war in Ukraine is reshaping life well beyond the battlefield.
13 min
27
Power play in European Parliament
A battle for power in the European Parliament is already underway — though quietly for now — with the midterm reshuffle a year away.
13 min
28
Europe edges toward a multi-speed future
At this year's Munich Security Conference, the U.S. struck a softer tone — but Europe remains wary.
14 min
29
Omnibusted: The EU’s competitiveness conundrum
European leaders have spent the week talking about how to make the EU more competitive — first with industry heavyweights in Antwerp, then behind closed doors at a leaders’ retreat in Belgium.
38 min
30
BONUS: "Europe has to be saved from itself" - S...
28 min
31
The battle of Alden Biesen
EU leaders gather at Alden Biesen castle to debate how to revive Europe’s economy — and whether “strategic autonomy” can survive internal divisions.
14 min
32
EU talks funding Kyiv and how to boost industry
It’s another day of high-level talks across Belgium.
14 min
33
Episode 1: The plan to get Ukraine into the EU
Welcome to the first edition of the Brussels Playbook Podcast!
13 min
34
Can the EU decouple from Trump's America?
Can the European Union really decouple from Donald Trump’s America — economically, politically, and strategically?
35 min
35
Introducing: The Brussels Playbook Podcast
POLITICO’s daily audio briefing on what’s moving Brussels — and why it matters.
2 min
36
The Anxious Continent: Social media bans and bo...
Europe is testing how far it’s willing to go — at home and abroad.
38 min
37
What really happened after Trump blinked
What a week!
23 min
38
BONUS EPISODE: At Davos, the twist in Trump's G...
32 min
39
Trump bites. Europe grasps for an antidote.
“A little less conversation, a little more action.”
33 min
40
Whose world is it now? Trump, power and Europe
Europe had barely switched off its out-of-office replies before geopolitics came roaring back.
34 min
41
Von der Leyen vs. Trump: Europe answers back
He’s not even European — yet Donald Trump has topped POLITICO’s annual P28 ranking of the most powerful people who will shape Europe in 2026.
37 min
42
Notes on a scandal — will a fraud probe upend t...
Brussels was jolted this week by dawn raids and an alleged fraud probe involving current and former senior EU diplomats.
39 min
43
Peace plan panic: Does the EU still have a say ...
Washington–Moscow peace maneuvers caught Europe off guard this week — raising questions about the EU’s continued relevance and readiness at a pivotal moment for Ukraine.
37 min
44
Inside Europe’s far right — going pro and going...
When Europe’s biggest political family crosses the aisle to vote with the far right, something fundamental shifts in Brussels.
30 min
45
Growing pains: Can the EU handle enlargement?
Russia’s war in Ukraine has given new momentum to EU enlargement — and raised a bigger question: Is the bloc itself ready to grow? 
39 min
46
Pornography, children and privacy: Europe's dig...
Europe faces a growing dilemma: how to protect children online without breaking digital privacy for everyone. 
31 min
47
How to lose a Dutch election — and still win one
Is it enough to come first in an election?
32 min
48
How about them assets — making Russia pay for U...
The EU wants to lend €140 billion in cash from frozen Russian funds to Ukraine;
33 min
49
How to go from hero to zero, with Emmanuel Macr...
French President Emmanuel Macron has gone from “Mr. Europe” eight years ago to the solitary man by the Seine.
34 min
50
How not to fall: Behind von der Leyen’s fightba...
While the French government collapses in Paris, Ursula von der Leyen stands unshaken in Strasbourg.
44 min